Lake Placid Triathlon, Ribbon and YMCA on tap July 21-22
The second-oldest Ironman competition in North America and one of the most popular events in the sport, the Lake Placid Triathlon will take place this Sunday, June 22, in Lake Placid, N.Y. It's a unique course with the transition and finish line located on the Olympic speed skating oval, a beautiful swim in Mirror Lake, a challenging bike through the Adirondacks and an equally challenging run. A large group of locals has headed north to take part in the event.
All three events are two-loop. The swim course in Mirror Lake, a calm, pristine lake right in the heart of Lake Placid, is an excellent spectator course. The water temperature is typically in the high 60s to low 70s. Athletes will exit the water after the first loop and run on the beach before returning to the swim entrance for the second. The bike course takes place on state, county and local roads and totals 112 miles on the saddle. The 26.2-mile running course, considered spectator-friendly, passes by the downtown area four times! This incredible route features some spectacular tree-lined river scenery coupled with lakeside running.
Good luck to all the locals who will toe the start. I am impressed that so many locals would even attempt such a challenge of 140.6 miles in one day. The winner will likely be in the eight- to nine-hour range, while others will take as much as 17 or 18 hours to complete. Twenty years ago, very few in this area were even doing triathlon races or knew what a triathlon race was. Now we have large groups doing Ironmans. Good luck, all!
YMCA 5-Miler
The Seashore Striders' and Rehoboth Beach’s longest active road race, the YMCA 5-Miler, will start from Deauville Beach in Rehoboth at 7:30 a.m., Sunday, July 22.
The race began in the early '80s with mostly locals taking part and just about 100 participants averaging the early year totals.
This year’s event will include a pancake breakfast hosted by Catcher’s restaurant as a celebration of 30 years, as well as 30-year finisher medals for participants as they cross the finish line. I have been involved in the event for 22 of those years as a director and participated in the 1983, '84 and '85 events.
One of my goals for the 30th annual is to bring back any of the former winners, directors and organizers from the early years when the race was getting started. If you are one of those people, the Seashore Striders invite you to the event; please email Tim Bamforth at tim@seashorestrider.com with contact information and your early involvement.
Race for the Ribbon
The Greene Turtle will be alive in Rehoboth Beach Saturday, July 21, as the popular restaurant on Wilmington Avenue will host the fifth annual Race for the Ribbon 5K. The Ribbon is a popular stop for runners in the summer series, as it always has the best giveaways of the summer and an enthusiastic crowd for a great charity, the American Cancer Society. Much of the success of the event is due to the hard work of organizer Stephanie Shuttleworth and her team of volunteers. Shuttleworth’s Ribbon has raised $40,000 over the past four years and has become a real positive event for the community. Proceeds from this year's race will benefit the American Cancer Society in memory of Nancy L. Hendershot and will also benefit the Madison Handley family. Visit www.seashorestriders.com for race information. A record field of over 300 for this event is expected. Arrive early!
Upcoming races
7:30 a.m., Saturday, July 21, fifth Run for the Ribbon 5K, Rehoboth Beach.
7:30 a.m., Sunday, July 22, 30th YMCA 5-Miler, Deauville Beach, Rehoboth.
8 a.m., Saturday, July 28, 11th Northbeach 5K College Day (wear your colors) and PSU Day, Dewey Beach.
7:30 a.m., Sunday, July 29, 15th Run for J.J. 5K, Stuart Kingston, Rehoboth.
